Synopses & Reviews
The powerful unvarnished memoir of General Hugh Shelton, war hero, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during 9/11, and one of the leading military figures of our time
Whether serving under a Democratic president or a Republican president, General Shelton was never afraid to speak out and tell it like it is. Shelton chronicles his incredible journey from a small farming community in North Carolina to the highest level of American military and political power at the Pentagon and White House.
As one of the nations elite Special Forces soldiers, Shelton served twice in Vietnam, commanding a Green Beret unit and then an airborne infantry company. He was awarded a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart for a wound suffered when a booby trap drove a poisoned stake through his leg.
Shelton rose up the ranks and was assistant division commander of the 101st Airborne Division as they invaded Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, then led the 20,000 American troops tasked with restoring Haitis deposed President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to power. Promoted to 4-star General, he became Commander in Chief of U.S. Special Operations Command (including Delta Force, Navy SEALS and other top secret Special Mission Units).
But it was while serving as Chairman during both the Clinton and Bush administrations that he faced his biggest challenges, including his role as chief architect of the U.S. military response to 9/11. General Shelton speaks frankly of how decisions were made behind the scenes in the inner sanctum of the E-Ring and Oval Office, and reveals key military operations and meetings that have not yet been revealed, including:
* High-ranking Cabinet member proposes intentionally allowing an American pilot to be killed by the Iraqis to have an excuse to retaliate and go to war.
* Details of a contentious Camp David meeting among President George W. Bush and his National Security Council immediately after 9/11, where internal battle lines were drawn---and Shelton (along with Colin Powell) convinced President Bush to do the right thing.
* How Rumsfeld persuaded General Tommy Franks to bypass the Joint Chiefs, leading to a badly flawed Iraq war plan that failed to anticipate the devastating after-effects of the insurgency and civil war. * Attempts to kill Usama bin Laden that were shot down by our State Department.
* CIA botched high-profile terrorist snatches, leaving Sheltons Special Operations teams to clean up their mess.
* How Shelton “persuaded” Haitis dictator to flee the country.
* And much more.
Yet it's Sheltons amazing personal story that puts his military career in perspective. It began with a fall from a ladder in his backyard, resulting in total paralysis from the neck down---and a risky experimental procedure, so dangerous that if it didnt cure him, chances are it would kill him.
Revealing, compelling, and controversial, this is the story of a man whose integrity and ethics were always above reproach, and who dedicated his life to serving his country.
Review
“General Shelton is a man from another time, when honor and ones word were more important than personal gain and the fiscal bottom line. I hope there are more like him out there. We need them now, more than ever.” —Tom Clancy
“Unfailingly honest and unflinching in judgment. Without Hesitation tells the story of a man who earned every break he got, kept his integrity intact, and never let the pressures of the job outweigh the strength of his convictions.” —President William Jefferson Clinton
“A great American story of humble beginnings, fierce determination, patriotism, and honor. Hes been a warriors warrior, a generals general—and always a truth teller. Without Hesitation is a book for our times.” —Tom Brokaw
Synopsis
During a nearly forty-year career in the United States Army, Hugh Shelton has been known as a straight shooter—when he speaks he means what he says. Whether serving under a Democratic president or a Republican president, whether in a war that was popular at home or not, Hugh Shelton gave all he had, and asked nothing less of the men and women who worked for him. Politically independent, Shelton told the truth—not what his superiors wanted to hear. And now, in his unvarnished memoir, Shelton tells the incredible story that took him from a small farming community in North Carolina to the jungles of Vietnam as one of our country's first special forces soldiers, to the inner sanctum of American military and political power as a General, Commander of Special Operations Command, and then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs during 9/11. Delving into the key characters and personalities he met on the field of battle and behind the scenes at the Pentagon and White House, Shelton also covers key military operations and meetings that have not yet been explored, including:
* Details of the Camp David meeting among President Bush and his National Security Council immediately after 9/11, where internal battle lines are drawn over creating a plan to attack Iraq—NOT the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
* How Rumsfeld persuaded General Tommy Franks to bypass the Joint Chiefs, leading to a badly flawed Iraq war plan that failed to anticipate the devastating after-effects of the insurgency and the civil war that followed.
* Attempts to kill Osama bin Laden that were shot down by our State Department.
* The time the CIA botched a high-profile terrorist snatch in the Balkans, leaving Sheltons Special Operations teams to clean up their mess.
* And much more
Yet it's Sheltons amazing personal story puts his military career in perspective. It began with a fall from a ladder in his backyard, resulting in total permanent paralysis from the neck down—or thats what all the leading medical experts thought. All except one, who told Shelton about a risky experimental procedure—so dangerous that if it didnt cure him, chances are it would kill him. And Shelton, together with his wife Carolyn, made a bold decision to go ahead with the procedure.
Revealing, compelling and controversial, this is the story of a man who has dedicated his life to serving his country.
Synopsis
Revealing, compelling, and controversial, this is the powerful memoir of General Shelton, war hero, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11, and one of the most respected military leaders of our time. 16-page full-color insert.
Synopsis
The powerful memoir of General Hugh Shelton, war hero, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11, and one of the most respected military leaders of our time
During a nearly forty-year career in the U.S. Army, Hugh Shelton has been known as a straight shooter. And now, in his unvarnished memoir, Shelton tells the incredible story that took him from a small farming community in North Carolina to the jungles of Vietnam as one of our countrys first Special Forces soldiers, to the inner sanctum of American military and political power as a general, commander of Special Operations Command, and then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during 9/11. Delving into the key characters and personalities Shelton met on the field of battle and behind the scenes at the Pentagon and White House, he also covers key military operations and meetings that have not yet been explored. Yet its Sheltons amazing personal story that puts his military career in perspective. It began with a fall from a ladder, resulting in total permanent paralysis from the neck down—and ended with a risky experimental procedure so dangerous that if it didnt cure him, chances are it would kill him. Revealing, compelling, and controversial, this is the story of a man who has dedicated his life to serving his country.
Synopsis
Revealing, compelling and controversial, this is the story of a man who has dedicated his life to serving his country.
About the Author
Born in North Carolina, GENERAL HUGH SHELTON served in the U.S. Army for thirty-eight years as a specialist in airborne operations and special operations tactics, was Commander in Chief of the U.S. Special Operations Command (including Delta Force, Navy SEALS, and other top secret Special Mission Units). Shelton was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under both Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. He lives in North Carolina. RON LEVINSON is a veteran film and television producer, director, writer, and studio executive. A past board member of the U.S. Air Force Public Advisory Counsel (where he counseled the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force on motion picture and television production), he currently lives in Los Angeles. MALCOLM McCONNELL is the author or co-author of twenty-nine books, including the
New York Times #1 bestseller,
American Soldier, with Gen. Tommy Franks. McConnell lives in Queenstown, MD.